The detrimental educational effects of poor classroom acoustics have been widely recognized for decades (eg. Finitzo-Hieber & Tillman, 1978; Nabelek & Pickett, 1974; Sanders, 1965). Relationships between noisy/reverberant classrooms and reduced student learning are undeniable, but this fact has little or no effect on school policy toward improving classroom acoustics.

In 1997, professionals from a wide range of backgrounds united to implement national standards for new classroom construction and classroom renovation. At the same time, the U.S. Access Board, which develops guidelines for accessibility, heard an appeal from a parent with hearing loss who was not being served adequately in a noisy classroom. The Access Board agreed to study the problem of noisy and reverberant classrooms as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to determine if children with disabilities were being underserved because of poor classroom acoustics.

In 1998, the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) established a working group (ANSI Committee S12 Working Group 42) that was charged with drafting an acoustics standard for new and renovated classrooms. In May, 199, a classroom acoustics conference was held in Fairfax, Virginia, sponsored by the ASA, the Access Board, and the Camelot School. Papers presented at that conference served as the catalyst for this clinical forum. The authors of these articles are members of the Classroom Acoustics Working Group, who are charged with developing a national standard.

This clinical forum will provide the reader with current information concerning:

• the surprising number of students with auditory disorders in schools,
• the prevalence of noisy and reverberant classroom,
• acoustical solutions to noisy and reverberant classrooms,
• amplification solutions to further improve listening conditions in classrooms,
• methods for implementing solutions, and
• a current working draft of the classroom acoustics standard.

The first two articles in the forum present the nature and extent of the problem of noisy classrooms and resulting reductions in learning. In the introductory article of this forum, Nelson and Soli stress the widespread need for good classroom acoustics. The negative educational effects of learning in noisy classrooms are not restricted to children with significant hearing loss. Other children at risk for learning problems in noisy classrooms include young children, children who are speakers of other languages, children with attention/listening problems, and children with minimal (and often undetected) hearing loss. Overwhelming evidence suggests that U.S. classrooms are too noisy and reverberant, and that children in virtually every classroom can benefit from improved acoustics.

In the second article, Crandell and Smaldino describe basic principles of noise and reverberation measurement in classrooms. They then summarize findings from both children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing sensitivity who are nonetheless at risk for learning problems in noisy rooms. They suggest acoustical guidelines for classrooms that are currently under consideration by the Classroom Acoustics Working Group. Together, the first two articles provide a broad background for the reader in understanding the nature and widespread extent of the problem, as well as the principles of noise and reverberation measurement.

The next two articles address some solutions to the problem of poor classroom acoustics. In the first of these, Smaldino and Crandell note that a great deal for improvement in listening conditions can be achieved through amplification technology. They describe the problems of conventional hearing aids and innovative uses of current amplification technology for improving signal-to-noise ratios in modern classrooms.

The next article will be of practical help to school personnel who need to address noise and reverberation problems in existing classrooms. The Classroom Acoustics Working Group contains architects, acoustical engineers, and university faculty with extensive experience in designing schools. Siebein, Gold, Siebein, and Ermann are school architects and acoustical consultants who design classrooms with favorable accoustics. Their article summarizes principles of acoustics as they apply to classrooms and describes 10 principles for designing and building quiet classrooms.

With the final article in this issue, readers are apprised of the process that is currently underway to ensure improved classroom acoustics in America. Donna Sorkin describes the current activities of the Access Board and the Classroom Acoustics Working Group. Ms. Sorkin is currently the executive director of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and is a member of the Access Board. She summarizes the history and role of the Access Board in establishing guidelines and describes tentative recommendations for new classroom construction.

The appendix contains the most current working draft of the Classroom Acoustics Working Group. In it are the draft scope, definitions, and proposed standards for background noise and reverberation. Readers are encouraged to examine this material, discuss its implications with other school professionals, and provide comments to the Working Group. While the standards are being finalized, the appendix can serve as a useful guide to school districts that are undertakings school construction.

We hope that this clinical forum contains information that will be of use to school personnel. Our goal is that these articles provide food for thought that will prompt discussion among school officials, along with sufficient evidence to present to school boards an budget committees that good classroom acoustics are a cost-effective necessity rather than a luxury. Readers are encouraged to provide feedback to any of the members of the Working Group. During the last quarter of 2000, we will make decisions as to the specifics of the recommended guidelines. Input from those "in the trenches" whether they be speech-language pathologists, audiologists, teachers, administrators, or parents, would be greatly appreciated.

Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C.A. 12101 et. seq. (West, 1993).

Finitzo-Hieber, T. & Tillman, T.W. (1978). Room acoustics effects on monosyllabic word discrimination ability for normal and hearing-impaired children. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 21, 440-458.

Nabelek, A.K., & Pickett, J.M. (1974). Reception of consonants in a classroom as affected by monaural and binaural listening, noise, reverberation, and hearing aids. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 56, 628-639.

Sanders, D. (1965). Noise conditions in normal school classrooms. Exceptional Child, 31, 344-353.

Contact author: Peggy B. Nelson, University, Department of Communication Disorders, 164 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail: nelso477@tc.umn.edu